25 IoT Companies To Watch In 2015

Internet of Things (IoT) is on a fast-growth path. We take a look at the 25 IoT companies to watch in 2015.

Unlike machine to machine (M2M) solutions, the Internet of Things (IoT) provides an advanced level of connectivity to devices. IoT is the present and the future of all the devices that are connected to the Internet. Gartner says that about 3.9 billion connected things were in use in 2014 and the number is predicted to rise to 25 billion by 2020. Gartner estimates that IoT will support total services spending of $69.5 billion in 2015 and $263 billion by 2020.

“The digital shift instigated by the Nexus of Forces (cloud, mobile, social and information), and boosted by IoT, threatens many existing businesses. They have no choice but to pursue IoT, like they’ve done with the consumerization of IT,” said Jim Tully, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.

“The number of connected intelligent devices will continue to grow exponentially, giving ’smart things’ the ability to sense, interpret, communicate and negotiate, and effectively have a digital ‘voice’," said Mr. Prentice. “CIOs must look for opportunities to create new services, usage scenarios and business models based on this growth,” said Steve Prentice, vice president and Gartner Fellow.

The following is a list of the top 25 IoT companies that are playing a significant role in the growth, development, and modernization of IoT in 2015.

1.Libelium

These wireless sensors connect M2M and smart city concepts to any given system.

Based in Zaragoza, Spain, Libelium is an Internet of Things company that manufactures wireless sensor network devices that help systems to incorporate reliable IoT, M2M and smart city solutions. Libelium’s wireless sensor platform, Waspmote, is easy to use and compatible with third-party systems. Operating in 75 countries, Libelium is one of the few startups supported by a community of more than 2000 developers.

2.AgilePoint

AgilePoint keeps applications up to date.

The methodology used by AgilePoint leads to a fast implementation of the developmental process, completing projects with minimal cost and in the shortest amount of time. AgilePoint is known for developing the first comprehensive business process management (BPM) solution for the Microsoft platform. Its services are secure, reliable, scalable, and affordable, allowing IoT businesses to deploy solutions without the hassle.

3.Octoblu

Octoblu provides proper communication between connected things.

Acquired by Citrix in December 2014, Octoblu translates protocols to work in harmony with one another by acting as the universal IoT system. Octoblu solves the problem of irregular communications between devices by linking them across platforms.

4.Parstream

Parstream focuses on managing the massive amount of IOT data.

Winner of the CIO Magazine #1 Big Data Startup award, Parstream is allowing innovative ideas put forward by their users in the field of IOT data. This Cupertino based startup aims to provide edge based analytics and is also well known for handling huge volumes of big data in an organized manner. The company’s big data solutions are said to almost any interactive business organization.

5.Scanalytics

Find out how many people visited your personal or office space.

A part of Microsoft’s IoT accelerator, Scanalytics has devised a solution which calculates the footfall in a given area. All you need to do is activate its sensor system. What's amazing about Scanalytics is that it allows you to deploy its system for a day, a week, a month, or forever, depending on your choice.

6.Jasper

This IoT platform meets the needs of businesses.

Jasper, as an IOT platform, allows small, medium, and big mobile operators and other enterprises with a turnkey solution to grow their connected services at a large scale. Jasper can meet the needs of any business and any industry as a result of its deep integration with mobile connectivity across six continents. This Californian startup has been chosen by more than 1,600 companies worldwide.

7.IFTTT

Its programming recipes make proper device connections.

If This Then That (IFTTT), as an IoT platform, not only connects devices, but enables these devices to interact with each other by using simple recipes. With a $30 million Series B round funding, this San Francisco-based startup now has more than 120 channels, which can be used by users in creating recipes. About 20 million recipes are “cooked” each day by IFTTT users.

8.Ayla Networks

Your device now connects to the manufacturer when it ceases to function properly.

With a funding of $5.4 million from Crosslink Capital and Voyager capital, Ayla Networks provides the ultimate solution for a proper participation of connected platforms. Instead of targeting only the customers, Ayla is actually targeting the manufacturers. For example, the connected device itself can communicate with the manufacturer when it has a defect. The personalized weather network provided by Ayla in China uses Wi-Fi based sensors.

9.EVRYTHNG

By providing real-time tracking analytics, Evrythng’s software as a service products help smart connection.

In addition to having $7 million in funding, Evrythng is the People’s Choice Winner of the Postscapes’ IoT awards. Continuously working on web-friendly REST APIs and persistent Active Digital Identity, the startup helps manufacturers connect with clients and partners through their products.

10. Ineda Systems

Low-power SoCs are provided for the use in consumer and enterprise applications.

With a $17M series B funding, Ineda Systems aims to power SoCs in wearable devices such as health and fitness trackers, smartwatches, and etc. Low-power SoC developers are what the future needs because, with the wearable market expected to expand to $12 billion by 2018, battery life as well as hardware size will matter most.

11.Tamr

Tamr connects diverse data by means of building a commercial grade solution.

This 2014 startup, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently raised $16 million from New Enterprise Associates and Google Ventures. What Tamr has made is a machine intelligence system that, apart from capturing a company’s database collection, includes real-time feeds. Real-time feeds are from a company's own internal systems and their customer’s connected devices.

12. Enlighted

Its sensor-based lighting control system does additional things apart from managing the lighting system.

To date, Enlighted has received a total of $36 million in funding from RockPort Capital Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Intel Capital. Enlighted provides a control intelligence central lighting system, which not only manages the lighting system, but also helps in monitoring the power consumption, temperature, and occupancy, as well as light levels up to 100 square feet below the sensor. The Occupancy Sensing App is the most talked about in the corporate world as it helps employees to detect which conference room is occupied and which is not.

13.Electric Imp

Connects products to Wi-Fi using your smartphone.

Connecting devices to the Internet haven’t been easier, thanks to Electric Imp. This cloud service and hardware solution startup has received $15 million in funding from PTI Ventures, Foxconn Technology Group, Rampart Capital, and Hugo Fiennes.

14.AdhereTech

A connected bottle that reminds patients to take their medications.

AdhereTech solves the basic medical problem prevailing today: prescription adherence. The wireless pill bottle, developed by the company after checking medicinal adherence, notifies the patient about their mistake through text messages, calls, and etc. Its software also informs the medical practitioner as well as the pharmaceutical company about the dosage habits of the patient. This New York-based company has $2.3 million in funding from undisclosed investors.

15.ThingWorx

This startup is building apps that connect processes involving IoT.

ThingWorx is a unique application platform that combines connected intelligence, social media and web 2.0 technologies to processes involving Internet of Things. With an aim to create a more sufficient and intelligent world, ThingWorx is actually building innovative applications for a new connected planet. This Pennsylvania-based company dreams of being involved in every single connected device.

16.Zatar

Connect to the Internet to manage all your devices.

Based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Zatar is an open cloud-based platform which, apart from managing your entire device network, also helps in connecting it to the Internet. By using Zatar's infrastructure, businesses can share data and assemble all the things present in their ecosystem.

17.Humavox

All your devices can now be charged with one single charging platform.

Humavox has simplified the charging problem faced by everyone by providing a single charging solution for all devices that use radio frequencies. This Israel-based startup spoils the user with choices as to how they wish to create the charging stations for their devices. A toy box, a bowl, a hotel safe, and even a car cup holder can be created as the ultimate charging station for your device.

18.Neura

This startup emphasizes on people that are connected to devices, instead of devices connected to one another.

With its offices in California and Israel, Neura’s main goal is to connect people, devices, objects, locations, and web on a single platform. Neural makes smart devices smarter by making these devices work harder if the situation demands it. A Neura-enabled vacuum cleaner starts working at the maximum speed when it detects that there are more people in the house than usual. Instead of focusing just on connectivity, Neura focuses on data applications.

19.PubNub

This startup makes building apps an easy process.

Established in 2009 in San Francisco, California, PubNub simplifies app-making for the developers by providing the major building blocks along with a suitable global cloud infrastructure network. Connected globally by means of 14 data centers and 99.999 SLAs, PubNub supports more than 50 SDKs for browsers, servers, mobile devices and PCs. IoT providers connected with PubNub today can focus solely on their business because this startup solves the connectivity issues. Pubnub acquired $4.5 million in funding in 2012 from TiE Angeles and Relay Ventures, and $11 million in funding in 2013 from Scala Ventures.

20.Revolv

Now an app connects all your devices at home with your smartphone.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Revolv connects all the gadgets in your home with your smartphone or tablet app. Acquired by Google’s Nest in August 2014, Revolv has formulated a system by means of which all the connected devices can automatically start and shut down as soon as the device owner is within or outside a certain radius of their homes. Foundry Group has funded this started with the hefty sum of $6.7 million.

21.TempoDB

Huge amount of data storage made possible by means of sensor analytics.

With a $4 million funding, this Chicago-based startup has made analyzing and storing huge amounts of data practically possible through sensor analytics. This private cloud-based service has helped businesses with all kinds of open-source databases, both simple and complicated. Businesses will no longer suffer from data problems because TempoDB's sensor analytics system has the capacity to face all the big data challenges.

22.Theatro

The manufacturing workforce now has a mobile communications solution.

Listed as one of the top 10 Internet of Things Start-ups, Theatro is a Texas and Bangalore-based company. Theatro is best known for combining wearable devices with a software suite that enables retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries with a proper management and mobile communication solution. The moving workforce today has the best solution delivered by the means of Wi-Fi to every single worker. Theatro has recently raised a $5 million funding from Khosla Ventures.

23.BSQUARE Corporations

This company provides innovative connected devices.

Bsquare is known to drive innovation by means of delivering actionable data that can even make laid back data into something that is meaningful as well as useful. Additionally, low data costs, higher revenues, better operations as well as lower risks of failure, are acquired when Bsquare devices are used.

24.Gemalto

It provides security for all digital services.

Gemalto provides digital security services, software, and devices to governments and businesses around the world. When it comes to managing, protecting, and verifying digital interactions and identities, Gemalto is a world leader. Payment cards, SIM cards, and eID documents use Gemalto. The company's main aim is to provide point to point services across networks.

25.Chui

Chui makes face recognition door locks.

In a century where hacking is a problem, Chui offers a solution. This Colorado-based startup uses facial recognition as a key and the password for any security system. Chui considers your face to be the safest key as it cannot be hacked. Referring its system as “the world’s most intelligent doorbell,” Chui's sensor system tracks visitors by time stamping visits.

IoT is a fast-moving trend. That's why companies are getting into the game. This week, at its F8 Developer Conference, Facebook announced a Parse SDK as part of its IoT initiative. Soon, in a not-so-distant future, all things that we interact with on a daily basis will be connected also to social media. Isn't that nice?